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Click With Caution

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Lesson Plan

Click With Caution Lesson Plan

Students will learn safe and healthy social media habits, including managing privacy, understanding emotional impacts, spotting stress signs, and supporting family guidelines.

By exploring mental-health effects, stress warning signs, and parent-guidelines, students gain self-awareness and can involve caregivers in building responsible, balanced digital citizenship.

Audience

5th Grade

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive slides, discussions, group scenarios, and a take-home handout.

Materials

Prep

Prepare Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Introduction to Social Media Safety

3 minutes

  • Display slide 1–2 from the Social Media Safety Slide Deck
  • Ask: “What is social media and why do people use it?”
  • Record responses on chart paper

Step 2

Mental Health Impacts

5 minutes

  • Show slide 3: Mental Health Effects of Social Media
  • Discuss: Anxiety, depression, self-consciousness from comparison, cyberbullying, sleep disruption
  • Ask students: “Can you share a time social media made you feel good or stressed?”

Step 3

Recognizing Stress Signs

5 minutes

  • Show slide 4: Signs of Social Media Stress
  • Review warning signs: mood swings, poor sleep, obsessive checking, withdrawal
  • In pairs, students share if they’ve noticed any signs in themselves or friends

Step 4

Exploring Privacy Settings

7 minutes

  • Present slides 5–6 on privacy tips (use strong passwords, keep profiles private)
  • Distribute the Privacy Protection Checklist
  • Model adjusting a privacy setting on a sample profile
  • Students check off habits they follow and discuss new ideas

Step 5

Scenario Analysis Activity

6 minutes

  • Show slide 7 and hand out Safe vs Unsafe Scenario Cards
  • In small groups, decide whether each scenario is safe or risky
  • Record decisions on chart paper

Step 6

Wrap-Up, Reflection & Family Handout

4 minutes

  • Show slide 8: summarize top tips for privacy, respect, mental well-being, and stress awareness
  • Distribute the Parent Tips on Healthy Social Media Use Handout for them to take home
  • Exit Ticket: Write one promise for using social media safely and one way you’ll talk with your family about it
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Slide Deck

Mental Health Effects of Social Media

• Anxiety & Depression
– Constant comparison to friends’ highlight reels can make you feel “less than.”
– Fear of missing out or feeling excluded lowers mood.

• Pressure for Likes & Followers
– Watching “like” counts become a measure of popularity.
– Worrying when a post doesn’t get expected attention.

• Cyberbullying & Negative Comments
– Hurtful messages and online teasing can spread fast.
– Public shaming or unfriendly posts damage self-esteem.

• Impact on Sleep & Focus
– Late-night scrolling can push bedtimes later and reduce sleep quality.
– Daytime tiredness and constant notifications make it hard to concentrate.

Explain how social media can affect students’ feelings and behavior in four main ways. Pause at each section to ask for examples or reactions.

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Worksheet

Privacy Protection Checklist

Name: __________________________ Date: _________________________

Read each statement. Put a check (✓) next to the ones you already follow.

  1. I use strong, unique passwords for each social media account.
    [ ]


  2. My profile is set to private so only friends can see my posts.
    [ ]


  3. I do not share personal details like my address, phone number, or school publicly.
    [ ]


  4. I regularly review my friends/followers list and remove people I don’t know.
    [ ]


  5. I ask an adult before accepting friend requests or messages from strangers.
    [ ]


  6. I update and review my privacy settings at least once a month.
    [ ]


Reflection: What is one new privacy habit you will start this week?






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Activity

Safe vs Unsafe Scenario Cards

Instructions: Print and cut each card along the lines. In your group, read each scenario and decide:
• Is this Safe or Unsafe?
• Why do you think so?

Card 1

You receive a friend request on your social media account from someone you’ve never met in real life. They want to see your photos and ask where you go to school.

Card 2

A classmate comments on your post, “Great job on the science project!” and adds a smiling emoji.

Card 3

An unknown user messages you a link that says “Click here for free game coins!”

Card 4

A stranger sends you a direct message saying, “I know your name and town. Let’s be friends!”

Card 5

Your friend tags you in a funny meme that doesn’t show any personal information.

Card 6

You see a post that makes you feel nervous and uncomfortable—someone is sharing rumors about your school.

Card 7

A follower you’ve never met asks you to join a private video chat and keep it a secret.

Card 8

You discover that someone posted a photo of you from last weekend without asking for your permission.

Card 9

You get a message that looks like it’s from the social media app asking you to enter your password to “verify” your account.

Card 10

A friend shares a group photo of your classmates at the park. No names, addresses, or school names are visible.

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Worksheet

Parent Tips on Healthy Social Media Use Handout

As your child explores social media, your guidance is key. Here are practical strategies to foster safe, balanced, and positive online habits:

1. Model Balanced Behavior
• Limit your own screen time and explain when you’re taking a “digital break.”

2. Co-Create Family Tech Guidelines
• Set “no-phone zones” (dinner table, bedrooms) and tech curfews (e.g., no devices after 8 PM).
• Write down agreed-upon screen-time limits together.

3. Talk Openly, Without Judgment
• Ask fun, non-threatening questions: “What was the funniest thing you saw today?”
• Listen first if they share worries—avoid immediate punishment.

4. Teach Critical Digital Literacy
• Show how to spot click-bait, fake news, and manipulated images.
• Review privacy settings together: who can see posts, comments, and personal details.

5. Encourage Real-World Connections
• Schedule tech-free family activities: board games, walks, or cooking.
• Host small, supervised get-togethers to practice face-to-face skills.

6. Monitor—But Respect Privacy
• Use reporting tools instead of reading every message.
• Let older kids earn more freedom by showing responsible choices.

7. Spotlight the “Highlight Reel” Myth
• Remind your child that most people post edited, “best-of” moments.
• Encourage sharing authentic, imperfect moments too.

8. Promote Self-Care and Offline Hobbies
• Help your child explore interests beyond screens: sports, art, music.
• Reinforce that self-worth isn’t measured in likes or followers.

9. Stay Informed and Involved
• Follow or friend your child’s accounts (with clear rules).
• Learn about new apps so you can speak knowledgeably about benefits and risks.

10. Know When to Seek Help
• If signs of anxiety, depression, or cyberbullying persist, reach out to a school counselor or mental-health professional.

Our Family Tech Plan

  1. Tech Curfew: __________________________________________________




  2. No-Phone Zones: ________________________________________________




  3. Screen-Time Limit: ______________________________________________




  4. Questions or Concerns:






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